Pain
Psalms of extinction
Roadrunner Records
Five albums in, you know what you're getting when it comes to Pain (Peter Tägtgren): A well-produced slice of industrial pop-metal, with some stand-out singles (this time called "Zombie slam", "Clouds of ecstasy" and "Nailed to the ground") and albums tracks of varying quality. The previous album was inspired by his collapse, death and following revival and had a real fighting spirit. This one seems mostly inspired by a divorce and is fuelled by equal parts dislike, thinly veiled hurt and a bit of misogyny. That makes for good anger, but not always good songs. The best ones are where Peter doesn't try to hide under furious riffs, but travels the lighter and poppier road. The album feels slightly split; it is like Peter is at a crossroad. He needs to decide what he really wants with Pain. Is it industrial pop-metal, or the heavier songs? Or maybe he should just do the cover album he's been talking about for so long. After all, the "Play dead" (Björk) cover on the album shows a real knack for interpreting others' works, while keeping the emotional core intact.
- Hanzan